A Kansas school board has rejected a proposed high school social studies curriculum because they felt that some of the materials were biased against Donald Trump.
The newly elected conservative majority on the Derby Board of Education voted down a proposed contract with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, which would have cost about $400,000 and was recommended by Derby High School teachers over five other candidates, after board members objected to the company's public statements on diversity, equity and inclusion, reported KCUR-FM.
“My biggest concern," said board member Cathy Boote, "involved what I would define as bias of omission."
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Boote was also concerned about the way the materials portrayed Trump's position on Cuba, trade deals with China, relationship with allies, the Jan. 6 riot and other topics related to his first presidency.
"Then there was the ‘Muslim ban,’” Boote said, making air quotes with her fingers. “With no mention of the fact it wasn’t aimed at all Muslim countries, just those that have no ability to vet. Safety was the top priority, but they leave it sit there, with no explanation, to make you think he was xenophobic."
Fellow board member Michael Blankenship agreed with those concerns, but he also opposed the new curriculum due to a statement Houghton Mifflin Harcourt made – "we believe Black Lives Matter [and] we believe in social justice" – after the police murder of George Floyd in 2020.
“That’s a pretty bold statement,” Blankenship said. “Wouldn’t anybody want to know, ‘What do you mean?’ I still don’t have that answer.”
Representatives for the Boston-based publisher could not be reached for comment on this report, but the company stood by its statement two years ago when Derby school board members expressed similar concerns over an elementary school curriculum, which the board approved, but four new members have been elected since then for a 4-3 conservative majority.
“We need to wait and see if we can’t find better options … or see if some things can cool down,” said board president Jennifer Neel. “If and when you think you have two good, neutral products … then bring it back.”
Derby administrators have been asking for a new high school curriculum because teachers have been without social studies textbooks for several years, and the teachers who reviewed the materials especially liked the portion that emphasized critical thinking and writing skills.
“Our students develop that critical thinking piece, so they don’t see something on Facebook or a news media channel or from a friend and accept it blindly, without … researching it and going back and finding sources,” said Holly Putnam-Jackson, Derby’s assistant superintendent of teaching and learning.
“Our social studies teachers aim to teach our students … how to think, and not necessarily what to think," she added.